See also the transcripts and video of the original
Vietnam era Winter Soldier Investigation.

Writings/Media
Archived on this Site

Just
and Unjust War, by Howard Zinn -- This is a firsthand
reflection by the author of A
People's History of the United States, 1492 to the Present (highly
recommended to anyone who knows only the history that was taught in school). Howard
Zinn was a World War II bombardier who believed deeply in the justness
of the cause of ridding the world of Fascism, but ended up summarizing
his experience with the words, "Never Again." In questioning
the nearly universal acceptance of World War II as a just war, he
brings all war into question as a way of resolving disputes among
nations. This work is both profound and beautifully written. It should
be read by anyone contemplating these issues. The essay originated
as a chapter in Declarations
of Independence, but is also included in The
Zinn Reader, and Howard
Zinn on War.

"Why I fight For Peace " -- Brief mp3 audio clip with a statement (a poem, actually) by Cloy Richards, a US Marine and a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War, reflecting on his tours of duty in Iraq, the effect it had on him, and why he is determined to fight against the war. (See http://grassrootsamerica4us.org/ for more about Cloy Richards and other poems.)

"Quaker
Heroes" -- Three World War II conscientious
objectors told their stories to the Upper Elementary Meeting of the
2001 session of the Pacific Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society
of Friends. The children responded by writing and illustrating the three
narratives.

The
Press and the Myths of War by Chris Hedges -- A deeply thoughtful
and articulate account of the realities of war from the vantage point
of an experienced war correspondent. "For war, when we confront it truthfully, exposes
the darkness within all of us. This darkness shatters the illusions
many of us hold not only about the human race but about ourselves. Few
of us confront our own capacity for evil, but this is especially true
in wartime. And even those who engage in combat are afterward given
cups from the River Lethe to forget. And with each swallow they imbibe
the myth of war. For the myth makes war palatable. It gives war a logic
and sanctity it does not possess. It saves us from peering into the
darkest recesses of our own hearts."

The Catholic Church, in its great diversity, supports a significant peace movement through
the Catholic Peace Fellowship and
Pax Christi. The Catholic Peace Fellowship actively supports conscientious
objectors. Its web site has much that would be of interest even to non-Catholics. Individual parishes support conscientious
objector to varying degrees.

Sir! No Sir! -- (See
also Amazon.com,
Netflix and elsewhere)
Did you know that one of the biggest antiwar movements during the Vietnam era was going on within the military itself? Probably not,
if your source of information was the mainstream media. This documentary resurrects a piece of history that has been buried
for years. (Now available to view online on YouTube)

The Good War and Those Who Refused to Fight it. -- (See also Amazon.com). The Second World War was a hard war to oppose as a Conscientious Objector. It was widely supported and considered to be a "Good War." It was also one of the bloodiest wars on record, killing over 60 million people worldwide. This is an excellent survey of the range of beliefs and actions of Conscientious Objectors and their impact on society in the years following the war.

Winter Soldier -- (See also Amazon.com, Netflix and elsewhere) This is a documentary about the Winter Soldier Investigation, conducted in 1971 by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, to publicize the extent of atrocities committed by US troops in Vietnam. The film, which features interviews with soldiers telling about their personal experiences in Vietnam, is powerful, emotional, and graphic.

Voices for Creative Nonviolence: "We recognize that
for years now the U.S. has stood on the precipice of all out devastation-of itself and of the world. We look to history as a guide-and
try to learn lessons from those who preceded us in far more dire circumstances, who somehow found the ability to form communities of
resistance to oppression in Nazi Germany, in apartheid South Africa, in the Jim Crow South of the U.S. and in the super segregated
cities of the North."

Other
Links

"I
Will Not Kill"--This
site is an outgrowth of the The Conscience and Courage Gathering sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation. The "I Will Not
Kill" campaign affirms the fundamental human right to refuse to
kill.

Avoiding violence often involves learning to resolve differences peacefully. Beyond Reason, an outgrowth of the Harvard Negotiation Project, looks at how emotions, as well as reason, enter into conflict situations and must be addressed in successful negotiation. This book teaches negotiation skills that can be applied both individually and internationally. See also a discussion of some of the themes in the book by Elsa Sabath.

Quaker
Peace Page A site maintained by Chuck Fager with links to material
related to the Quaker Peace Testimony

Resources for Peace
A site maintained by Robert Seeley, author of the classic Handbook for Conscientious Objectors. The handbook is now out of print, but it is still available from used book sources on the internet and elsewhere. Some of the legal details are obsolete, but the discussion of issues is still a valuable resource.

We
don't advocate one way or the other on the issue of non-registration,
but DraftResistance.org
is a site that does, and it makes some valid points. You may decide
to go this route, but it is an act of civil disobedience with possible
legal and financial consequences, so it is important to understand the
issues clearly. Read widely.

Daniel Zwickel, hosts
a site called Pacifist
Nation that is worth exploring.

The National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund works
to pass legislation that would allow conscientious objectors to pay their
federal taxes into a fund that would be distributed to nonmilitary
appropriations. They work closely with the Center on Conscience and War.

Please contact us if you have information about local peace centers,
military/draft counseling programs, related web sites, and other resources.